In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
They tried their best to drag Him out
Of a courthouse down in Montgomery
And now they wanna kick Him out of school
And take Him off our money
They can take those words off of paper and stone
But He ain't gone, no
He ain't the leavin' kind
He'd never walk away
Even from those who don't believe
And wanna leave Him behind
He ain't the leavin' kind
She stayed mad at Him for a lot of years
For takin' Her husband
Started losin' Her faith and thinkin' that, her life meant nothin'
But when she looks at those kids she raised all by herself
She knows she had some help, yeah, she knows
He ain't the leavin' kind
He'd never walk away
Even from those who don't believe
And wanna leave Him behind
He ain't the leavin' kind
No matter what you do
No matter where you go
He's always right there
With you
Even from those who don't believe
And wanna leave Him behind
He ain't the leavin' kind
No, no
(He ain't the leavin', He ain't the leavin' kind)
He ain't the leavin' (He ain't the leavin')
He ain't the leavin' kind (He ain't the leavin' kind)
Ooh-ooh
(He ain't the leavin', He ain't the leavin' kind)
He ain't the leavin' kind
Of a courthouse down in Montgomery
And now they wanna kick Him out of school
And take Him off our money
They can take those words off of paper and stone
But He ain't gone, no
He ain't the leavin' kind
He'd never walk away
Even from those who don't believe
And wanna leave Him behind
He ain't the leavin' kind
She stayed mad at Him for a lot of years
For takin' Her husband
Started losin' Her faith and thinkin' that, her life meant nothin'
But when she looks at those kids she raised all by herself
She knows she had some help, yeah, she knows
He ain't the leavin' kind
He'd never walk away
Even from those who don't believe
And wanna leave Him behind
He ain't the leavin' kind
No matter what you do
No matter where you go
He's always right there
With you
Even from those who don't believe
And wanna leave Him behind
He ain't the leavin' kind
No, no
(He ain't the leavin', He ain't the leavin' kind)
He ain't the leavin' (He ain't the leavin')
He ain't the leavin' kind (He ain't the leavin' kind)
Ooh-ooh
(He ain't the leavin', He ain't the leavin' kind)
He ain't the leavin' kind
Lyrics submitted by queenvictoria_14
He Ain't the Leavin' Kind Lyrics as written by Neil Thrasher Michael William Dulaney
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
The entire song is about God. The chorus clued me into it, but the more I looked at it, I realized the whole thing is. In the first verse, the courthouse in Montgomery refers to this decision (cnn.com/2003/LAW/08/27/ten.commandments/); kicking 'him' out of school I assume refers to the general hesitation to refer to religion in the public school environment; the money - "In God We Trust"; and the removal of 'words' - perhaps the slight change of wording in the Pledge of Allegiance?